Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam said selling Marko Arnautovic to West Ham in the summer was one of the main reason the Potters were relegated this season.

Slaven Bilic made Arnautovic a top transfer target last year and after two rejected bids, eventually got his man for a West Ham club-record transfer fee of £25m as Stoke bought in former Real Madrid winger Jese on-loan as his replacement.

It's easy to see who got the better end of the deal as Arnautovic, after a slow start, was transformed when David Moyes took over and netted ten goals since December and has gone a huge way to ensuring his team stayed in the top flight this season.

Jese on the other hand managed just one goal - on the opening day of the season - and has been AWOL since March 17 having returned to Spain to look after his ill child.

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Arnautovic swept the board as the Hammers players awards ceremony ten days ago as his brilliant end to the season was recognised by his teammates and fans.

Stoke were condemned to the drop on Saturday after they were beaten by Crystal Palace following ten years in the Premier League and Adam believes they never replaced Arnautovic after he moved to the capital.

(Image: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Adam, speaking on Five Live Sport, said: "I think the biggest thing for me was that we never replaced Marko.

"If Marko had done the other side of the game better then I think he can play for one of the big ones. He's been their best player this year, he won every player of the year award and we never replaced him.

(Image: Alex Morton/Getty Images)

"When you lose a player like that, a player that can win you games - they might not be in the game all the time but is a match winner - he would show one or two things in a game that could help you win it.

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If you don't replace that then you're going to struggle and we did that. We should hang our heads in shame because that club should never have been relegated."

Contrats that to what another of the Austrian's teammates, Jon Walters, said about the forward back in November shortly before Slaven Bilic was given his marching orders.

(Image: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Walters said then: "Marko could turn it on the last year, [and over the] past few years, and when he’s on it, he’s on it, but how many games did he did he do it over the course of the season.

"He has to step up and has he done it? You’d say he hasn't. But that seems the type of player they've got at the club, they won’t be digging in."

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